Septic toilet tank



July 2, 1929. T. BENNETT SEPTIC TOILET TANK Filed April 26, 1928Patented July 2, 1929. t

THOMAS BENNETT, or runny,

new YORK, ASSIGNOR TO imus'rrnn COMPANY, or PERRY, new YORK. a

SEPTIC TOILET TANK.

Application filed April 26, 1928. Serial No; 272,935.

. This invention relates to septic toilet tanks of that kind which arepositioned beneath the toilets so that the sewage falls directly iiitothe tank. More particularly the invention refers to a subinergencedevice or means for insuring the proper submersion of the sewage, paperand other matter into the liquidin the tank. a

In one form of septic toilet tank, a drop tube or sleeve extendsdirectly downward from the toilet into the tank below the level of theliquid therein, and the tank is provided below the bottom of the droptube with baffle plates or members for diverting the sewage laterallybeyond: the periphery of the drop tube so that gases formed byfermentation do not rise into and escape through the drop tube. Thebacteriological action which takes place in the tank results in theformation of a scum on the surface of the liquid and which is essentialto the proper disposal of the sewage. If this scum is much disturbed orbroken, this action is interfered with.

Some objects of the invention areto provide aseptic toilet tank withmeans for effect ing the submergence of the waste matterdeposited in thetank through the drop tube connecting the latter with the toilet; alsoto provide a subinergence device disposed within the lower end of thedrop tube and projecting into the upper portion of the liquid in thetank, and whichisreciprocable upwardly out of the liquid and downwardlyto engage and submerge the floating depositspand alsoto rprovide meansforthis purpose otsimple construction andwhich is readily accessible foreasy operation. l a

" a Other objects are to provide a submergence device for septic tankstocooperate with the baffles in the tank below the drop tube in confiningwhat disturbance if any, of said device upon the liquid in the tank toan area-circuinscribed by the lower end of said tube and said baiiles toprevent the disturbance of the scum onthe surfaceof the liquid inthctank, while nevertheless effecting thorough immersion of'thewasteriiatterinto the liquid. Also to improve septic toilet tanks intheother respects hereinafter set forth and claimed, to the end that morecompleteand effective disposal ofthe sewagemay be effected. In theaccompanying drawings Fig. 1. is a central, vertical, sectionalelevation, partly broken away, of a septic toilet tank embodying thisinvention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, horizontal section thereof, on line 2-2,Fig. 1. As illustrated in the drawings, the inven tion is applied to acylindrical septic toilet tank 10 having its axis arranged horizontally.The tank is formed by a horizontal, cylindrical shell 11 closed by endwalls 12 and 13. The latter wall is provided with anoutlet sleeve orconnection 14, the lower end of WlllCll isdisposed at such elevation asto do terminethe desired level of the liquid X 111 the tank. Additionalyvater may be supplied to the tank from time to time, as by means of apipe 15 extending into the tank ad1acent the end wall 12, with itslower. end

some distance below the upper end of a baflie or wall 16. This battle issecured to the end wallet the tank and extends to the bottom of thetank. This water may, if desired, be drainage water or discharge from awash basin or sink.

As shown in Fig. 1, the tank is arranged at some distance below theground level or floor 18,at whichelevation the toilet "bowl 19 isarranged. The sewage or waste matter from thebowl'19 is conducted to thetank throughla vertical drop tube or sleeve 20, which extends directlyfrom. the lower end of thebowl directly down into the tank with itslower end 21 projecting a short distance below the level w of the liquidin the tank.

Preferably the droptube 20 is made in two parts, alower section 22,which isin the form of a cylindrical sleeve secured in a hole in theupper wall of the tank and with itsupper end extending a short distanceabove the same. Connected to this upper end of the sleeve 22 is asection 23 which is made of suitable length to extend between andconnect the sleeve 22 of the drop tnbe 20 with the bowl.

As shown in Fig. 1, the tank is provided a short distancelbelow thelower end ofthc drop tube 20 with transverse inclined bafiie platcsfl land 25. The plate 24 is inclined and is so proportioned that thematerial passin the tank beyond the periphery of the drop tube,sothatgases formed during thedecoming through the drop tube is receivedthereon *and deflected laterally so as to be deposited stead of passingupwardly out of said drop tube. In a like manner, material engaging age,and if thisscum is disturbed or broken up to iany extent, properdisposal of the sew age is interferedwith, Consequently, by extendingthe lower end of the drop tube into the liquid, andpreferably below thelevel of the scum, the disturbance of this scum is avoidedyand also thegases which collect at the top of the tank cannot escapeupwardly throughthe drop tube or sleeve as the liquid I int-he lower end'thereoi forms aseal.

It has been found that some of the sewage and other Waste matter such aspaper and the like passing through the drop tube 20 tends to collect andfloat on the top of the liquid in thearea within the lower end ofthedrop tube, with the result that the drop tube becomes obstructed and theproper action of v the septic tankimpeded.

-Inaccordance with this invention, therefore, a-submergence device forefiecting the i proper immersion of'this' waste matter by forcing itdownwardly into the liquid in the tank,'is provided.

V This device 30 is arranged approximately ator' just below the level ofthe liquid and is located within thelower-end ofthe dro tube 20 Thedevice 30 may be ofany suitab e construction, that. shown in thedrawings comprising a pair ofrelatively narrow crossed strips or plates81 which" are preferably "curved downwardly towards their ends and ar'esecu'red at their intersection 'to the lower endof anoperating rod ormember32 which extends upwardly through the tube to a positionwhere'itcan be gras ed or'operated. By

l ma'ki'ngthe crossed'mem ers of the curved or downwardlyfincline'd formshown, any ma terial droppingupon the upper surfaces of the: members 1can be readily deflected down- Ward-1y into the tank Preferably,'thelrodis E 'o'flset between its-ends so that its upper end 55 fcanljbe-'extended upwardlythrough arear icompantment33-in the bowl above whichit is provided'witih a handle 34. I

'I hjis construction of the submergence devieeeo 'i's'su'eh'that itcaneffectively engage -tlhemateria l for the purpose stated withoutmavenany" obstructing the passage of sewage "through the drop tube, buta submergence device of othjer construction meeting the foregoingrequirements could V be substituted "therefor, 1 A

In the use of the device, the handle 34 is grasped to raise said deviceupwardly from its normal position shown in full lines to approximatelythe position shown in dotted lines, this action being repeated by areciprocating movement so as to thoroughly submerge the material andcause it to be forced towards the bottom of the tank. Preferably a coilspring or other resilient member 35 is interposed between the handle andthe top of the bowl to receive the shocks incident to the device in useand to act as a butter when the device is dropped from its elevatedposition.

It will be seen from the foregoing description and the illustration ofthe invention which is disclosed in Fig. 1, that the relativearrangement of the lower end of the drop tubcwithin the upper level ofthe liquid, the position of the submcrgence device 30 within this lowerend of the drop tube and the location of the baffles 24 and 25 below thedrop tube, is such that when the submergcnce device 1s actuated, anydisturbance of the liquid in 1ts nninediatc vicinity and within anduninediately below the drop tube caused by the use of the device isnevertheless substantially confined to the area within the lower end ofthe drop tube and the battles 24- and 25. In this manner, thoroughimmersion of the matter deposited in the lower end of the drop tube iseffected without any appreciable disturbance of the layer of scum at thetop of the liqkriid outwardly beyond or around the drop tu e.

The submergcnce device described is of simple and rugged constructionand is relatively inexpensive to make, so that the total cost of aninstallation of this sort is not materially increased by its use and thedevice is easily operated to effect the desired results.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a septic toilet tank, the combination of a drop tube extendingdownwardly through the top of and into said tank with its lower endbelow the level of the liquid therein, a submergence device disposedwithin said lower end of said drop tube and which is reciprocable up anddown within said drop tube to engage and cause material floating on theliquid within saidtube to be forced downwardly and immersed in theliquid in the tank, and means for actuating said submergence device.

2. The combination of a toilet, a septic tank below the same, a droptube extending directly downward from saidtoilet through the top of saidtank with its lower end below the level of the liquid therein, asubinergence device disposed within said lower end of said drop tube,and an operating member therefor extending upwardly through said tube toa position adjacent said toilet, whereby said submergence device can bereciprocated up and downwithin said tube to cause material floating onthe liquid within the latter to be forced downwardly and immersed in theliquid in the tank.

3. In a septic toilet tank, the combination of a drop tube extendingdownwardl through the top of and into said tank wit its lower end belowthe level of the liquid therein, a reciprocable submergence devicedisposed within said lower end of said drop tube and which is adapted toengage material floating on the liquid within said tube and force thesame downwardly into the liquid in said tank, and a baffle platearranged in said tank below said tube and in the path of said downwardlymoving material for deflecting material laterally beyond the peripheryof said drop tube so that gases evolved in the decomposition of saidmaterial will not pass upwardly out of said drop tube.

4:. In a septic toilet tank, the combination of a drop tube extendingdownwardly through the top of and into said tank with its lower endbelow the level of the liquid therein, and a submergencedevice disposedwithin said lower end of said drop tube and which is reciprocable up anddown within said drop tube to engage and cause material floating on theliquid within said tube to be forced downwardly and immersed in theliquid in the tank, and means for actuating said submergence device,said submergence device having spaced parts which, while ef fectivelyengaging the material for the aforementioned purpose, are arranged topermit material falling through said tube to pass thereby into saidtank.

5. In a septic toilet tank in which the sewage is decomposed byfermentation and a resulting layer of active scum is'formed on the saidtank below saidtube and which coact with the lower end of said tube torestrict any disturbance of the liquid as a result of the use of saiddevice to an area adjacent and below the lower end of said tube, wherebysaid layer of scum remains substantially undisturbed.

6. In a septic toilet tank in which the sewage is decomposed byfermentation and a resulting layer of active scum is formed on thesurface of the liquid in said tank, a drop tube extending through thetop of said tank with its lower end projecting into said liquid belowsaid layer of scum, a submergence device disposed within andreciprocable up and down in said drop tube to engage and submergematerial floating on the liquid within said tube, and oppositelyinclined bafile plates arranged in said tank below said drop tube fordeflecting material passing into the liquid to one side of said tube sothat gases evolved in the decomposition of said material do not passupwardly out of said tube, and said bafile plates also acting torestrict any disturbance of the liquid as a result of the use of saiddevice to an area adjacent and below the lower end of said tube, wherebysaid layer of scum remains substantially undisturbed.

THOMAS BENNETT.

